Motoring Discussion > More potholes Miscellaneous
Thread Author: AshT Replies: 16
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 10:16 
 More potholes - AshT
On the BBC this morning: -

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8599513.stm

I completely understand the guy's frustration at the inaction by the council; there's a heavily used stretch of road close to us - in a 40 zone - where it's common to see local drivers weaving around the potholes and non-locals having their teeth shaken out. One of of my neighbours and I have both filed complaints to the council over the state of the road with no results.

As said it's a very heavily used stretch of road, speeds are often high, and some of the potholes I've seen while out walking the dog are a good 3 inches deep - just waiting for the accident now, and the subsequent statement from the council about deep regret, priorities, and limited resources.

Edit - apologies, should have posted this in Motoring. Could a moderator move this please?
Last edited by: AshT on Fri 2 Apr 10 at 10:18
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 10:52 
 More potholes - L'escargot
>> One of of my neighbours and I have both filed complaints to the council
>> over the state of the road with no results.

Perhaps it's because of the manner in which you "complain", or the fact that councils have to prioritise the repair work that they have to do. See if they have a website where you can report road problems routinely and without being emotional about it. Reporting rather than complaining might get results.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Fri 2 Apr 10 at 10:53
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 11:00 
 More potholes - kensitas
>>Perhaps it's because of the manner in which you "complain"

What by making a complaint - why presume that's 'emotional'? The OP is perfectly entitled to to do this - it's believe it's called living in a democratic country!

Perhaps the OP's council is rather similar to mine - there's no handy 'website' to make a representation about road repairs & the only way to bring it to attention is a formal complaint.

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New Fri 2 Apr 10 13:38 
 More potholes - L'escargot
>> >>Perhaps it's because of the manner in which you "complain"
>>
>> What by making a complaint - why presume that's 'emotional'?

There's a difference between reporting a pothole and complaining about it.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 11:02 
 More potholes - AshT
A phone call and follow up letter in my case to the highways office, and I think my neighbour made a phone call.

Perfectly civil call and letter - reported would have been a better word than complained. To be honest I didn't think about the council website - going for a look at that now.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 11:08 
 More potholes - AshT
Looked at the council website - no form, just an email address, plus the phone number and address I used.

As I said above it was a reasonable and civil conversation and letter - nothing emotional about it at all.
Last edited by: AshT on Fri 2 Apr 10 at 11:09
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 10:57 
 More potholes - bathtub tom
I've been told it's far more effective to report potholes on one of the internet sites set up for this very purpose (I use www.fixmystreet.com/ as it's far more accurate than the council site at pinpointing the exact area).

If a problem is reported on one of these sites, then it's visible to everyone. If it's serious enough to cause damage and not repaired within a reasonable time then whoever's responsible for the repair is probably liable and the evidence exists on the website.

Seemples.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 12:12 
 More potholes - teabelly
I use fixmystreet all the time. Unfortunately the county council don't seem bothered about potholes going unrepaired for months!
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 13:12 
 More potholes - Zero
>> I use fixmystreet all the time. Unfortunately the county council don't seem bothered about potholes
>> going unrepaired for months!

They do, but they dont have the money or resources to do it all instantly at the drop of the hat. If everyone wants every pothole fixed right now, close every road for a week.

that would give everyone something to moan about.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 14:14 
 More potholes - Iffy
...but they dont have the money or resources to do it all instantly...

Possibly, but there's also a bias against motoring, particularly us private car drivers.

People who work in my local authority tell me it is fairly 'right on', meaning it follows a leftie agenda.

I don't want to turn this into a 'one-legged gay lesbian deaf Asian collective' rant.

But there's no doubt that when a private motorist complains to the council about a pothole, there an element of 'you shouldn't be driving anyway' in the response.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 14:53 
 More potholes - teabelly
I only report the dangerous potholes. Large, on main roads and likely to cause a cyclist or motorcyclist to fall off their bike if hit. If those aren't fixed right away then they council needs a bomb up them. Even dangerous road surfaces are ignored for months. It's not on. Some roads are so bad I've given up with a precise location and reported the entire length of the road!

The welsh can afford to sort it out as I reported potholes there and they're usually fixed within a few weeks. Meanwhile cheshire and staffs sit around doing nothing and sticking their stupid humps everywhere. Funny how they can afford to block the road with humps, traffic harming and other junk but plead poverty when it comes to carrying out proper maintenance.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 15:24 
 More potholes - swiss tony
>> I only report the dangerous potholes. Large on main roads and likely to cause a
>> cyclist or motorcyclist to fall off their bike if hit.

Thats fair enough, but small potholes will become larger dangerous potholes given time.
this pothole problem has been brewing for many years, due to the inability of councils to resurface roads properly over the last 15-20 years....
the spraying of wet tar, followed but throwing stones on top, has proven to be nothing more than the bodge it is.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 15:37 
 More potholes - bathtub tom
This is part of a reply I received from my local council. It's useful to have a criteria.

Under our duty to keep the roads safe, we are required to fill all dangerous potholes (i.e. those of depth in excess of 50mm and of more than 150mm in diameter) within 24 hours.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 16:43 
 More potholes - teabelly
>> This is part of a reply I received from my local council. It's useful to
>> have a criteria.
>>
>> Under our duty to keep the roads safe we are required to fill all dangerous
>> potholes (i.e. those of depth in excess of 50mm and of more than 150mm in
>> diameter) within 24 hours.
>>

Staffordshire and Cheshire are failing in that then.....But does it infer that those under 50mm in depth but enormous are ignored??? Is the depth taken as an average or as the deepest point? Is diameter strictly circular or does it mean the widest part of the hole I wonder?

Not sure how you'd measure them without risking getting run over either :)

Next time I report any I shall mention ones that look bigger than the 50mm deep or 150 mm wide. See if that perks them up into action.

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New Fri 2 Apr 10 16:50 
 More potholes - crocks
>>Next time I report any I shall mention ones that look bigger than the 50mm deep or 150 mm wide.

That is 50mm deep AND 150mm wide.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 17:13 
 More potholes - teabelly
>> >>Next time I report any I shall mention ones that look bigger than the 50mm
>> deep or 150 mm wide.
>>
>> That is 50mm deep AND 150mm wide.
>>

That's not an acceptable criteria then as you could have a hole across the entire road of 49mm deep and they wouldn't have to bother! It should be an or really unless it is a small diameter hole but as the small ones tend to become bigger ones they should actually fill all holes found in any road while they are there anyway. Seems pointless to go look them. Mark them out then return and ignore later holes when they could do the entire lot while they were there. Totally inefficient.
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New Fri 2 Apr 10 23:52 
 More potholes - Stuartli
Saw a sign in a sporty type vehicle's back window recently which declared: I'm not drunk, I'm just avoiding the pot-holes.

Someone else from abroad says that he's going pot-holing in the UK this summer and understands that the Government will pay for it.
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